The Block's bizarre one-cent bidder sparks Twitter backlash

While the spotlight was firmly on The Block winners Brad and Lara at last night's grand finale auction, in which their house sold for $1.62 million, one bidder tried to steal the limelight with an awkward publicity stunt (watch above).

IT entrepreneur Danny Wallis and his blonde posse of two wore "Energy Watch" t-shirts, promoting the online company he bought in May after it had gone into liquidation.

Wallis, cannily trying to get attention for his newly named "Energy Watch International" on the first day of the carbon tax, entered a series of peculiar bids at the auction, narrowly out-bidding the other million-dollar offers using loose change.

After ample screen time, the businessman bought Mike and Andrew's house for the exact price of $1,400,001.01. Makes cents, doesn't it?

Fans of The Block took to Twitter to have a go at the shameless promo.

"The chances of anyone in Australia using Energy Watch from this day forward are ZERO ... and 91 cents," one user wrote.

"The new owner of #energywatch buys a million dollar house while the old #energywatch owes creditors nearly $9 million. Seems fair," another wrote, referring to previous CEO Ben Polis' legal troubles with the failed business.